Authorities in Quebec have charged Pietro Magistrale for his alleged role in the mob hit of former mafia boss Salvatore Montagna.
Montagna was the former boss of the New York based Bonanno crime family before being deported back to Canada. Police believe that Montagna aligned himself with mobster Raynald Desjardins among others in a plot to wrestle control of the Montreal Mafia away from the Rizzuto crime family. But when their bid to take over failed Montagna was murders on the orders of Desjardins in 2011. They attempted to take over the Montreal underworld while reputed boss Vito Rizzuto was serving time in a U.S. prison on racketeering charges in connection to the 1981 murders of three Bonanno family capos that took place in New York.
“Pietro Magistrale arrest”
White Vito sat awaiting his release all hell broke loose and a bloody Montreal Mafia war erupted with the Rizzuto family members being targeted for death. By the time Vito was released in October of last year his son Nick Rizzuto Jr and father Nicolo Rizzuto had both been murdered along with several other Rizzuto family members and associates. Since Vito’s release he has gone back to Montreal which many mafia insiders and law enforcement sources thought was a sure death sentence. Instead multiple mob hits since his release are believed to be ordered by Rizzuto as he strikes back at his enemies and has now taken back control of the unstable Montreal underworld.
Magistrale was previously arrested in connection to the Montagna murder back in 2011 on illegal firearms charges. Those charges have now been upgraded to first degree murder according to the Surete Du Quebec. He was out on bail but was recently rearrested on the new murder charge and is expected to be in court on April 3. Police did not specify what had changed in the investigation to upgrade Magistrale’s charges to murder.
